The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-12
pended in a manner to reflect greater credit
upon the State,
SCHOOL FOR TIKI BLIND.

This institution, lee't 4 within sight of
the c pitOl, on a beautiful eminepcs over
looking ths C9moerlat river, owes much Of
its succe TO the liberal don 4ti5n Of the HOn.
John NJ. Lea, whottill, 10 the graf fcation of
our best citizens, is associated with its Board
Of Trustee. and gives TO 1t much of his per-
$ -nal attention.
The school has a corps % .xpsr'enced and
capable instruct rs. and its tnanci Al man
sgement is decided sue ess, Jhe aoDro.
prIation iet apart fo' lis expresses nv the
state ha. not been exhaust out. ms will be
Sc n bg references TO he report ~ the trustees.
tn y ha on hand January /, 1881, a cash bal.
auce fS3 496 - an hare is cred / h the
school on Comptroller's books Of $3.50 (un-
drswl).
by the State, in order 10 sMeiOrats, ss f,rns
possible, the condition of The uLf rtunate
blind
BUREAU OF AORIrUL1URE. STATS
TICS, MINES AND IMMIGRATION,
The work of this hure, ~. with its several
subordinate branche,, and of wide differ
ent objects, W.; Agriculture, statistics,
70 til GERS, entomol gy, geology; mining and
migration, clearly and deliberately set
forth IN the exhaustive report made BY the
Commissioner, which reveals many Of the
grand possibilities of our State in the way of
agriculture, the successful re ring of blooded
stock, the rapid development of the mining
u dustry and the growth OF manufacturing
interests 1t is not too n uch to say the Com
missioner has reformed h work with the
funds at his disposal with credit to his de-
partment and to the State. Today Tennessee
il better and more " dely advertised than
perhaps apy state in the Union. The liberal
investments and steady influx of capital
seeking Investment, toget1er with the
stream Of healthy Immigration flowing into
her borders, all fully attest the truth of this
Much of this is due to the earnest and yigOr-
Gus efforts of the Commissioner and his sub
ordinates in the co-Ordina'e branches of the
10 e.
ricultural state. In no country does the soil
more generously respond IN the touch of the
husbandmsn than along the valleys of East
Tennessee; in the grea cen trail or limestone
basin of Middle Tennessee; or the fertile
fields OF the west, and especially the aliuyial
lands contiguous to the Mississippi.
In addit on to the growth and psrIectiO of
almost every crep Known in the temperate
zone, L nnessee Is ye,y, properly, nursery
her famed blue grass. The indications Of
improvement in agricultural economy, tho
introduction of improved methods and inn
proved machinery, 10, k to the fuller devel-
opment of the grandest of all industries
= he report of tue commissioner is supple
mented BY the reports ofhis subOrdinates, Of
which only brief otce can be given.
AssistaGE CommissiOner Tor East Tennes-
see, G. W. Charlton, gu the work 40
comp ished By him in that division Of the
state; the report of Prof. John W. Glenn,
directlr Of the State Experiment. Station,
furnishing series VI pra teal experiments
in wheat culture, also in corn and other
mental tests of commercial fertilizers, all of
which commend the mselves TO the careful
consideration OF the practical agticulturist
The report OF Prof; II. W.. Doraa, Assistant
En'emOlogist, with its valuable suggestions
on destructive insects common to the State,
and the best me thois of preventing or de-
stroying them. Tae work has been done, it
seems, without compensation, and the re-
ma ri 10 al AL ND vain Ia % -
at d gardner.
The able and exhaustive report of Prof ],
NJ. Stafford, State Biologist, which com
mends itself to the attentive and earnest
con liberation OF all who are interested in
the geology of the State and its Importance
to the int ligent agficulturist. as we'll as TO
the CAPT ,alist who seeks profitable invest
ment The. rapid de,e opment of Tennes-
sees varied resources during the past few
years is due, in great measure, to the val
liable work OF DR.. 6Shord on the geology Of
t,e state published several years ago, but
which is now, unfortunately, out of urint.
The many Ieq1ests IN ade for 1t to the Exeeu-
tive of the State at home and abroad, even
from Europe, prove its value,
The report OF Mr.. 10. @. Guild, Inspector
of Mine., is in itself "a valuable and inter-
esiing exposition o! the progress in mining
industry, and lis importance as a factor is
Tennessee's progress and prosperity. From
this report il appears that a very hatter-
int increase 10 made in the number of coal
mines IN operation, or soon to be opened;
that the co ! trade Of Tennessee is in a far
more 1attering cORdition than ever before:
that the coal and coke of Tennessee now find
market as far nth as Texas, and as far
west IS California, being sent to the latter
state Tor silver smelling purposes. The in
creased per cent. in this production in Ten
nessee tlin the last year or two is almost
incredible.
The number of men employed in the mines
of the state are 4l40, against about $500 last
nc I'D fhak hnN-
and l5,OO0 persons are dependent on this in
dustry for their daily bread.
The Ventilation o. mines has been greatly
improved within the past few onths, mostly
see thai the law was complied with. There
are some defects in the present law which
hould be reu edied, so as to more fully con-
form 10 the requirements of GOLFERS. In
deed, The insutic.ency and def cts of the
law Of Tennessee are patent. The report
shows decrease in the per CO tage of acci-
6ents which is common da'oTy TO Inspector
Guild hose enga ged IN mining should be
we'll protected By the laws, which should be
framed % lessen the dangers attendant on
the work, and projected them from the neg
ligence of those owning or operating the
mines.
The Com missioner's report is further sup-
plemented by treatise on the grasses adapt
ed to the me dO@s aad pastures, together
with other reuOfts aud statistics, maAipg IL
!mplete and valuable.
The vouchers for the disbursements of the
for the nduct OF this bureau
have beeo examined and approved By me,
and they are in the hand. of the Commits
sloner, subject TO your examination.
Outside of he res ulAr, appropriat ton, there
was appropriete1 to the Com miss oner of
this bureau, by chapter 4, acts Of 1855, an
extra amount of 5000, TO be used for the
completion OF arrange ments
and the preservation and return of the ex-
hibits Of the state a. the Worlds Exposition
60
lures growing out Of and connected with the
exhibit at the World Exposition (which the
act does not require me to approved have,
however, been examined by me at the re-
quest of the Com I'm ssiOner. and they are in
his hands subject to your examination,
In connection with tnis Agricultural Bu-
reau, and somew hat germ tne thereto, is the
system of weather service" which has of
late years been inaugurated.
WEATHER SERVICE.
The advantages of a complete meteoroIo-
gical record are evident to all who appre-
ciate the Importance OF the scie ce of meta
orology and the bene fcial results Of its de-
as affecting agriculture and COM
merce, and health, looking to climatic
causes or inc study and prevention Of dis
eases. Ill very justly receiving more at
& mt on each succeeding year, especially at
the hands OF intelligent farmers who ap-
pre- jlate the great p aoti0al value of the in.
formation TO be gained by a close observa-
wa iONOAuo duu udbt
through series of years, fro N which they
may deduce apuroxima ely correct conelu-
sions of future seasons.
The object of the State Weather Service ia
TO observe and utilize every feature OF the
weather that affects the prosperity of the
state, as to crops, health, life, etc. The
State service is therefore essentially a plan
for gathering and utilizing local data and
eventually it will define prec sely the locali-
lies most favorable to special crops, disease!,
etc.
In cooperating with the Signal Office at
WashingtOn, the State Service fills many
gaps, as It were, between the often widely
distant stations of the regular service, by in
terveniOg local stations, with voluntary sb-
servers, who collect the local data that
wOu d b. Lost, and forward the
same, monthly, to the Central Office of the
state, where they are recorded and tabu-
4 ted for uture reference and comparison,
.hus makiDg a meteorological history of the
state, the value OF which cannot be over
,st mat d in coming years.
The Tennessee Weather Service was or
yanized early in 1883, under the auspices of
he Bureau of Agriculturs, and through the
cooperation of the Chief Signal Officer at
Washing on, who kindly loaned the service
number Of standard Instruments and sup
)lied tho voluntary bscrvers with blanks
Ind ranked envelope for correspondence
md reports. The work has been done with
'ut compensation by the observers, and
Without any spe ,ial tax Oh the state.
By fostering t0is servics in the outlay OF a